Brussels, 25th September: The adoption of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations this weekend will be the first step towards implementing a transformative agenda focused on poverty reduction, gender equality, and the eradication of deadly diseases. It is now time for European governments to set out how they will commit to delivering the agenda in their own countries and together with partners in the global south.

DSW’s Executive Director Renate Baehr, attending the UN summit as a member of the official German delegation, welcomed the expected adoption of the SDGs: “The new development agenda is a landmark moment, the start of a process to usher in a more just and equitable world. I am particularly encouraged by the commitment in the agenda to universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights and to gender equality in every country. Eliminating harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, gender-based violence and early and forced marriage will – if delivered – be transformative for the lives of girls and young women the world over, and will empower them to fulfill their true potential.”

The SDGs – a transformative agenda

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a framework of 17 goals and 169 targets across social, economic and environmental areas of sustainable development, which all governments have committed to achieve by the deadline of 2030. The SDGs will succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which are set to expire at the end of 2015.

Renate Baehr: “Compared to when the MDGs were launched, we have never been closer to the tipping point in the fight against HIV & AIDS and malaria. The new SDG agenda has recognized that if we are to end the epidemics of diseases of poverty, we need to invest now in research and innovation to create new drugs, vaccines and other interventions for people who need them the most. With research budgets continuing to decline across many European countries, we hope that the 2030 Agenda will give a necessary boost to these efforts.”

EU leaders: now is your time to match ambition with action

Following the agreement on the SDGs in New York, countries must follow through on their commitments and decide concretely on how the goals will be measured and implemented. DSW looks forward to working with the EU and European governments to make sure that the new agenda is fully reflected in the EU’s development agenda in the coming years.

DSW (Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung) promotes universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in low- and middle-income countries. By undertaking SRHR advocacy, developing initiatives, and engaging in capacity development and family planning projects, we improve the health of women and girls living in poverty and empower the youth of today to lead healthy and self-determined lives.

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) covers four distinct but interlinked issues. Sexual Health includes healthy sexual development, equitable and responsible relationships and sexual fulfilment, freedom from illness, disease, disability, violence and other harmful practices related to sexuality. Sexual Rights are the rights of all people to decide freely and responsibly on all aspects of their sexuality, including protecting and promoting their sexual health, to be free from discrimination, coercion or violence in their sexual lives and in all sexual decisions, expect and demand equality, full consent, mutual respect and shared responsibility in sexual relationships. Reproductive Health is the complete physical, mental and social well-being in all matters related to the reproductive system including a satisfying and safe sex life, capacity to have children and freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so. Reproductive Rights are the rights of couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children, to have the information, education and means to do so, attain the highest standards of sexual and reproductive health and make decisions about reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence. (Based on the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action (UNFPA, 1995) and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (UN, 1995)).

European Parliament survey on EU development priorities – Representative survey by TNS EMNID on behalf of DSW in July-August 2014. A geographic and politically representative sample of 117 MEPs were interviewed. For every conducted interview, TNS Emnid on behalf of DSW donated 20 Euros to one of the following organisations of the MEP’s choice: WWF, Médecins sans Frontières, Child Helpline International or the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation.